Peter's Christmas

Peter has been here since Thursday, and we are enjoying a long weekend together. On Friday night we took him to dinner at the Longwood Inn in Woodbury. It was cozy and delicious!

Mary arrived from Stanford on Saturday morning. We picked her up at JFK after her redeye flight, and it was time to get some food in her stomach. (Ours too!) It's always fun to go to Manhattan for breakfast early on a weekend (it's so quiet.....) if someone's flying in/out. We went to a place in Midtown that we've been wanting to try called Penelope. It was yummy.

 Peter and I showing how we "do" brunch.

Saturday night we had brats on the grill. (What better way to welcome home two Wisconsin kids?!) We balanced the brats with a lettuce salad from the lettuce we've been growing in the raised bed on our deck. This lettuce might not look like much, but it made for a salad that fed us all. Now it's all harvested and we'll empty the bed before it moves with us to St. Louis next year.

Peter's gifts under the tree. (This is what a Christmas tree looks like when you're not decorating for Christmas.) We got off the hook from decorating this year, but we're already looking forward to making up for it next year in our new house.

Sunday was "Peter Christmas." So of course I made our traditional holiday breakfast dish, "Mrs. Coin's French Toast."

Peter's Christmas of course included the opening of his gifts. (And the wearing of the ribbons from the packages.)

Sunday night we ate at the Good News Cafe in Woodbury for dinner.

Peter won't be with us for the real Christmas. Which means he won't be with us for the annual Harrison movie marathon. (Although we've devised the marathon so we'll all still see the same movies, just not in the same cities.) On Sunday night we started the marathon early and went to see The Hobbit (in 3D, if you didn't already figure that out).

On Monday afternoon we went to a favorite restaurant in New Preston. Peter had never been here before (shocking!) and Brad, Mary, and I just love this place. So the four of us had a nice lunch together before it was time for Peter to finish his packing and head to the airport. (But then we got to the airport only to find out that Baltimore is fogged in, so we get an extra 24 hours with Peter!) It's been a great visit - not the same as all being together on Christmas but a good substitute!